World stocks slip as growth fears linger; euro slides

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar rose to almost a two-year high against the euro on Thursday on an upbeat U.S. capital goods report, while world equities slid as weak economic data from South Korea and a profit warning from 3M Co renewed concerns about global growth.

FILE PHOTO: Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., April 24, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

New orders for U.S.-made capital goods increased by the most in eight months in March, which combined with worries about the economic health of the euro zone knocked the single currency to its lowest against the greenback since May 2017.

Other data showed the number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits last week was the biggest in 19 months, but the trend remains consistent with a strong labor market.

“The dollar is benefiting from strong domestic data, weak data abroad and a slew of dovish central bank meetings,” said John Doyle, vice president of dealing and trading at Tempus Inc in Washington.

The euro fell 0.19% to $1.1131, while European shares slid after a mixed bag of earnings from the region.

On Wall Street, strong results from Facebook and Microsoft Corp lifted the tech-heavy Nasdaq to a new intra-day record but were offset by dismal earnings in industrials, including 3M and United Parcel Service Inc.

The Dow industrials fell 1% at one point, dragged down by a 13% plunge in 3M shares after the company reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit, cut its 2019 earnings forecast and said it would lay off 2,000 workers globally.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 134.97 points, or 0.51%, to 26,462.08. The S&P 500 lost 1.08 points, or 0.04%, to 2,926.17 and the Nasdaq Composite added 16.67 points, or 0.21%, to 8,118.68.

Asian markets slid earlier in the day, losing 0.5% as South Korea’s economy unexpectedly contracted in the first quarter, a reminder of economic fragility outside the United States.

Shanghai’s bourse also fell late in the day, losing more than 2% on the latest central bank efforts to temper expectations for further monetary policy easing.

Chinese officials also warned of protracted pressure on economic growth, casting a shadow over hopes for a sustained recovery in the world’s second-biggest economy.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback versus a basket of six major peers, held near its highest level since May 2017. The index was up 0.1%.

The Japanese yen strengthened 0.48% versus the greenback at 111.63 per dollar.

The Turkish lira weakened 0.95% against the dollar after Turkey’s central bank left interest rates unchanged at 24% but in a dovish shift dropped a previous reference to possible further tightening if needed to address inflation.

U.S. Treasury yields rose as investors piled into the safe-haven government bonds following a dovish report from Canada’s central bank and solid demand at auction for $41 billion of new five-year notes.

Benchmark U.S. Treasury 10-year notes fell 3/32 in price to push yields up to 2.5343%.